Le véritable amour
by Ellie-rera
Summary: Set after the bomb in "Countdown". Rick obviously has feelings for the one and only detective Beckett, but with a certain boyfriend around things get a little difficult.
1. Chapter 1

He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Each step he took, his hands got clammier. His pulse got faster. And his reasoning became more clear. His feet scuffed across the carpet as he climbed up the last set of stairs to level three. Turning the corner sharply, he walked over to the apartment number he had so clearly plastered into his mind. Sucking in a large breath of air, Richard Castle knocked on the door of the one and only Kate Beckett.

Seeing Castle was a surprise. She hadn't excepted him. Ever since the bomb incident Castle and herself were both given a week off, free of the precinct. Opening the door with a cheery smile on her face, detective Beckett opened the door. "Good evening, Castle. I wasn't expecting you to stop by." Her face was surrounded by an ocean of perfect brunette curls. Her green eyes were glittering in the dim lighting in the apartment. Her grey shirt was clenching the curves of her body, loosening where her jeans took over.

"Evening, Kate." No smile crossed Richard's face as he spoke. Kate's eyes widened. Castle was always making some snarky comment or grinning like a freak. Never once had she heard the word Kate fall from his mouth. It was always Detective or Beckett. Never her first name. This wave of seriousness alarmed her. "Castle, what the-"

He interrupted her. Something he never did. The gentleman in him was pushed aside as words rolled out of his mouth, against his will. "Do you remember the freezer. What happened in the freezer, Kate." His grey-blue eyes were serious, shifting from her eyes to her apartment, as if he was looking for an escape route through her home.

Swallowing roughly, Kate nodded. She couldn't open her mouth to say the things she wanted to. All she could do was nod. Gently, Kate felt her body shake slightly. She couldn't let this happen. Castle cut into her thoughts.

"You had told me that you wished it was one of my books so I could rewrite the ending." He said, nervously rubbing his hand along his pant leg.

Kate looked confused. She didn't know where Castle was going with this. He better hurry and get to the point, she though. I'm kind of busy. Kate paused, studying Rick's face. "Because we were freezing to death, Castle." Her green eyes darkened slightly.

He frowned. "You didn't just mean that because we were freezing to death, Kate. You know my books. They're not just about saving the day. The main part of it is all about the relationship behind the partnership." His last sentence came out as a whisper. But it was loud enough for her to hear.

"Castle, I-" She began, reaching for his shoulder.

Castle took a step forward. His words suddenly became strong, confident. He was sure of his intentions and he had to get them out. As Kate's outstretched arm reached for him, Castle grabbed it. He pulled her hand down and cupped it in his. Her hands were so delicate. Small and dainty. Just like her. "You told me you wanted to rewrite the ending, Kate. And here I am. I want to rewrite the ending. I want to rewrite the ending of you and I, Kate." His eyes were deep, pleading.

Beckett tugged her hand back. She couldn't do this. Castle's strong hands clasped over hers, holding them in, unable to escape. In one swift motion, Richard pulled her closer and locking in his statement with a kiss. A kiss he knew she would return. She had to. But when Kate's body laid limp in his arms, stiff and unable to move, he stopped. Castle looked into Kate's beautiful green eyes. Her gaze was like a meadow, bright a green. Friendly, beautiful. "Castle." She snapped, dragging him back to reality. His arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly. Realizing, Castle dropped his arm, slithering back to his starting position, outside of Kate's apartment.

His mind sped quickly, reeling thoughts as fast as he could. Why wasn't this ending the way he planned. He was the author, he could change it. This is like, Rick. His mind called. You can't act on Kate's side like in the novels. You can only control yourself. As he looked back up to Kate he saw the shock reflected in her face. Her eyes were wide, her arms in the same position as before. She couldn't move.

Her heart pounded in her chest. What had just happened? Oh crap, oh crap. She thought, quickly. Hearing the noise behind her she knew it was too late. Kate reached down and pulled her shirt lower, looking back up to Castle. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off.

"Good evening, Mr. Castle." The deep voice bellowed from behind Kate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for all your reviews! You're all wonderful. I was originally going to just do this as I had time, but since you're so great I decided to speed it ahead ;)  
Enjoy.**

* * *

"Oh." The breath rushed from Richard's lungs. He stared at the figure behind Kate, eyes reflecting the misery he felt inside. Slowly, Castle took another step back, hanging his head. "I-I'm sorry, Josh." He stammered, "I didn't know you were here. I didn't mean to barge in." Slowly, he turned, stepping back toward the staircase.

"Castle." Kate squeaked. Her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, opening and closing, gently gliding. Her shirt grasped her hips, hugging them in all the right places. Looking back at Josh, she mumbled one statement. "I'll be back." With a nod, Josh strolled back toward the couch he climbed from. Kate mumbled her thanks as she closed the door gently behind her. Turning to Castle she looked up into his hurt blue eyes.

"Beckett." He said, feeling his heart pound. "I didn't mean to intrude, I thought Josh was in Africa again."

"Oh stop." She playfully slapped his shoulder, alerting him that she was totally okay with his actions. "What you said in there," she smiled, taking a serious twist, "did you really mean it?"

Slowly nodding, Castle sighed. "Every single word, Detective." Blushing slightly, he turned away. "I should be going. Goodnight, Kate." He nuzzled deeper into his coat and turned sharply on his heels. Swinging his arms as he walked, Rick took a large step before Kate reacted. Her soft fingers gently slid into his, grasping his attention. Turning around, he stared at her, eyes wide. His mouth opened, then closed, and opened again. Closing it one last time, sharply he decided that he didn't know what to say. The words that slithered from Kate's mouth caught his attention, brining heat across his cheeks.

"Rick, I'll uh .. I'll see you tomorrow?" She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around her, holding her closely. Kate smiled, feeling his warmth against her body.

"Absolutely, Kate." He smiled, spinning her away from his chest. Slowly, his hand released hers, letting it fall against her side. Stepping into the dark staircase, Richard began his decent toward the first floor.

Kate smiled watching him go. She loved to play him. Rick was in love with her, she knew that. But Josh owned her heart. Josh would always be there for her, well .. when he wasn't off saving other people that was. She smiled at the thought. Josh was there after the freezer incident. He had come back. They had a chance. She had a chance with Josh. That thought made her fingers and toes tingle with excitement. She loved him, she really did.

Turning back to her apartment, Kate opened the door and stepped in. Josh perked up, grinning at her. "Welcome back, beautiful." He smiled. Kate blushed, approaching Josh. She laid on the couch beside him, holding her head against his chest. The way her held her made her feel safe, comfortable. It reminded her of how her mother used to hold her, how Castle had just held her. Castle. Her body stiffened at the thought, why was she thinking about him.

"Are you okay?" Josh whispered into her hair as he rolled from beside her to underneath her. She let herself loosen up, releasing her death grip on Josh's hand.

"Just fine." She kissed him softly, feeling his hands run along her spine. A chill rushed up her body. She sat up, pulling Josh with her. He laughed, laying against the arm of the sofa with Kate in his arms. She felt at peace in the embrace. Loving the feeling, she mumbled a hushed, "I love you." to Josh, before her mind swept her back to the last time she was being held in the embrace. The freezer. Castle's arms wrapped around her, burning against her freezing skin like flames. His heart pounded in his chest, against her shoulder blade.

A chill ran up her spine. Don't go back there, don't think about Castle, her mind screamed at her, enraged. You never get to see your wonderful boyfriend and now that you do, you're thinking about the childish man you see every day that means nothing to you. Nothing to you. The mind snapped through Kate's head. Nothing to me. Castle means something to me, she called back. Castle is my partner. I love him like a brother, I love him as much as I love Esposito. As much as I love Ryan.

She let her mind fall back into ease as Josh's hands ran across her back, rubbing her shoulder blades. Softly, Kate whispered to Josh. "I'm tired, I'm going to hit the sack. You coming?" He nodded, gently helping her to her feet. Josh swirled his girlfriend in his arms, kissing her cheeks softly as he carried her toward the room just down the hall. Sweeping in, Josh gently dropped Kate onto the bed as he left to go change. Sighing, Kate let her head fall again the pillow. She didn't have the energy to change. Her body curled up against Josh once he crawled in after her. Jeans clinging tightly to her body, Kate shut her eyes before her phone could snap her out of her dreaming.

* * *

The alarming ring of the cellphone cut into the dead silence of Kate Beckett's apartment. With a sigh she rolled over, staring at the name on the screen before answering. "Morning, Esposito." She rolled onto her back, studying the ceiling.

"Morning. Sorry about the early wake up boss. Body dropped a few hours ago, I waited until the last minute to call. Knowing Josh was in town I didn't want to pull you away so quickly." Feeling her face flush with heat, Kate slithered out of bed and onto her feet. "We'll see you at the precinct in twenty?" He asked, hopeful. Kate mumbled a soft yes before she took off to shower and change.

Thirty minutes later, Beckett was standing next to Esposito and Ryan at the crime scene. The body was laying, sprawled across the concrete alley. His legs were both obviously broken, bending in unnatural ways. The stab wounds through his chest were deep and caked with dirt and blood. Lanie's body was bent over the body, examining him. She looked up with a smile at Beckett. "Morning, sunshine. How's Josh?"

"He's good." Kate smiled back, "How's our vic?" Her emerald eyes fluttered down to the body before her.

"Three stab wounds, sever bruising on his neck, probably strangled. And both his legs were broken. No just broken though." She paused dramatically, looking from Kate to Ryan to Esposito and back. "They were shattered."

"Shattered?" The trio repeated at the same time.

"Shattered." Lanie grinned, "Probably with a hammer or something. Somebody really had it out for your guy." She stood up, wiping off her pants. Before anybody could say anything their words were cut off as tires squealed, a car door slamming. They all turned their heads and the one and only Richard Castle began his walk down the long alley way toward them.


	3. Chapter 3

**I had a really bad past few days, struggling with my insomnia. Just more for you guys! :) I finished this up last night at around 3, and I can't wait to post it. Enjoy ;)  
**

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A shiver ran up Beckett's spine as Castle smiled at her before turning to Esposito and discussing the case. Lanie looked at Kate, giving her the typical what are you up to smirk. Sharply, she poked her elbow into Beckett's ribs, giving her a little wink. "We are so not, Lanie." She snapped, annoying. Nodding, Lanie walked away.

"You keep believing that." She laughed, flipping her glossy black hair over her shoulders. Sighing, Kate Beckett bent back down and reached over the victim, lifting up his arm. Dancing along the inside of his wrist was a series of long tattoos that looked oddly familiar to Kate. Eyeing them over one more time she recognized them. They appeared to be some form of a gang tattoo.

"He's a gang member." She noted aloud, standing back up. Her perfect brunette curls wrapped around her shoulders as she stood, turning too the boys. Her light grey jacket suit matched the pants that hugged tightly to her hips. Underneath the jacket was a formal pink shirt, perfectly complimenting her seaweed green eyes. The boys each quickly turned, taking a look at Beckett, some longer than others. "It was probably a gang related death in that case." She added quickly. Castle looked back up to Kate's eyes. He smiled one more time, bringing warmth to his bright eyes. She looked away quickly, nibbling her bottom lip.

"Esposito and I will look into it." Ryan threw his arm over Esposito's shoulder. Speeding away in the direction Lanie left, the two men followed suit. Castle took a few steps over, hovering beside Beckett. She looked him up and down once before either of them moved.

Her heels clicked as she walked down the alley, leaving Castle alone. With a hurt expression, Rick ran to catch up to her. "A little anxious, are we detective?" He gave her the familiar eyebrow wiggle. She rolled her eyes, brushing her left hand delicately through her curls.

"No, I'm not, Castle." She flicked him a glare, then sped up slightly, trying to get away. He quickly took another few steps behind her before catching up.

"Ah. Not so fast detective." He grabbed her hand, pulling her around the corner.

"Castle. What are you doing." Kate snapped, angered. Rick pushed her up against the wall lightly, gently tucking her hair back behind her ears. Her lip quivered, paralysing her body. The blood roared in her ears, her mind telling her to get away because of Josh, but her heart telling her to let him move his hands around her body in all the right places.

"I just needed to tell you how beautiful you are when you're angry." He grinned, bringing a soft wrinkle to his cheeks. Kate's mind was screaming at her, begging her to leave this situation. Her eyes stared into Castle's giving him the frightened deer in the headlights look. Quickly making up her mind on what to do, she leaned forwards taking a quick step to the left and ducking under his arm. With cat-like reflexes, Richard moved his arm slightly over, holding Kate trapped.

A tingle ran up her spine. She only loved Josh, she couldn't sit here and pretend she had feelings for Castle. "Castle. Move back." She warned, gritting her teeth together. He blinked his eyes a few times, taken aback by her response.

"My, my detective." He wiggled his eyebrows once again, taking a good look at her from head to toe.

"Castle." Kate's hands automatically reached for the weapon holstered on her hip. Gripping it tightly she looked back up into his eyes. "Back up. Now." She added extra force on the last word. With a sigh Castle nodded and stepped back, bowing his head in defeat.

Fishing her keys from her pocket, Beckett unlocked the door to her car and stepped in. Sighing, she placed her head on the steering wheel as Castle got in. Turning toward him, she opened her mouth and let out an angered yell. "You can't do that." She growled. "I'm dating Josh, and there's too many people around. I don't have feelings for you, Richard Castle. I just don't. You're going to have to accept that, or you're done with me." Her eyelashes fluttered against her soft cheek as she stared at him, anger and embarrassment flushing her cheeks with red.

"Oh." The air was rushed from his lungs, causing him to sit speechless for a moment. Rick sat, staring out the window in silence as Beckett drove down the empty early morning roads toward the twelfth precinct. The silence made Kate's mind push into overdrive thinking about her night with Josh and the events within the past twenty-four hours with Rick. Sighing, she turned up the radio until they reached the precinct, trying to think about anything other than the one and only, Richard Castle.

* * *

Silently, they reached the elevator together. Both of their mouths were sealed shut, knowing the emotions it would cause the other. Without saying a word, they both walked to the end of the hall and took their typical seats at Beckett's desk. Ryan strolled up, holding a manila folder in his hand. "I looked up the gang for you." He grinned at the speed he completed the task, "They're a motorcycle gang, running the night life in New York city."

Kate smiled, the first good news of the day. She had needed something to bring her mood up after Castle's childish actions this morning. "Thanks, Ryan." Shining her gleaming teeth at him, she grasped the folder.

"That's not all, boss. They're run out of a parking garage just a few blocks away." Ryan grinned. Kate flipped open the envelope, noting the address on the front page. She stood quickly, turning to Castle.

"Grab you're stuff, we're going to go check this out." Kate spun on her heels quickly, heading for the elevator once again.

* * *

Screeching to a halt, Beckett stopped the vehicle. She glanced over once at Rick, nodding for him to get out. "Look." He said, shutting the door behind him. "I shouldn't have done what I did this morning." Kate swung herself from the vehicle slamming the door. "It was childish, rude and dumb." He continued, as they strolled up to the giant sliding door to the garage.

"I don't really care, Castle. Just don't you dare get all handsy with me again." She grabbed the handle and swung the door up, opening the garage. Peering in, she grasped Castle's sleeve, pulling him closer.

The garage was dark and musty smelling. Motorcycles were lined up against the walls, large storage crates between them. Kate took quiet steps, walking toward the middle of the parking garage. Castle followed quickly on her heels. With each step they took the room smelled more and more like damp clothing left out too long. Rick wrinkled his nose at the smell, making a disgusted face. Kate rolled her eyes, shaking her head at him. A loud creaking noise sent her head whipping around her. Looking for the source of the noise, her shimmering green eyes wandered from left to right, scanning the room. There was no movement across the garage.

"Hello?" She called, her voice echoing in the empty space, "NYPD. We're just here to ask you a few questions." Before the could blink, Kate heard footsteps behind her. She whipped her head around, her curls flying past her face. Seeing nothing behind her, Beckett reached for Castle's sleeve. She tugged on it once, slightly to the left, signalling that they should be going back to the precinct to get backup. He pointed to her pocket, as if trying to tell her to just call. Blinking a few times, she ran her hand past her pockets. They remained empty. Kate must have left her cellphone in her desk drawer.

She pulled one more time, telling Castle they were leaving, when a gun shot rang through the garage, cutting through the silence and leaving Beckett to dive for the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay guys, I know this one was posted so close to the last chapter, but give me a break. I mean, it's a weekend. What else am I going to do? Other than my homework, but we all know that's never going to happen. Have fun with this one. Sorry for the slight cliffhanger ;) You can't blame me. Oh, P.S. Ray, am I that predictable? Enjoy! xoxo  
**

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Kate's hands were pressed against the icy cement. She turned quickly, making sure Castle was still okay. He stood behind her, fear creasing his face. Jumping to her feet, detective Beckett grabbed his hand, racing for the door. Another gunshot echoed through the garage. She pulled Castle onto the ground with her, hiding behind a storage box.

"Apparently they don't like to play twenty questions." He looked into Kate's green eyes rolling his bottom lip down into a joking pout. She rolled her eyes, slapping his shoulder.

"It's not really joking time Castle." She hissed quietly, turning her head around the corner to see. A blank hallway stared her back. Sighing, she rested against the wall again. Kate opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a slam, as the light streaming in from outside was blocked off, by the obviously slammed door.

Richard blinked. He waved his hands before his face, seeing nothing. Reaching for Kate's arm, Rick felt her jump, obviously startled. "It's so dark." He whispered, clutching the left arm of her coat.

"Ssh!" She hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. Rick felt his face flush at the detective's poke but clamped down on his bottom lip, keeping his mouth shut.

Kate felt her skin tingle as she heard a familiar scuff from footsteps coming closer. Instinctively, she clasped Richard's hand tightly. She squeezed it once, pulling him to the right, running away on her toes, trying to eliminate the clicking sound her heels would make. Rick race after Kate, hearing the steps approach them faster with a more hurried feel.

He felt Kate jump as another gunshot snapped toward them. He smiled a little, seeing a slightly frightened side he'd never seen before. She was always strong and confident Kate. Her walls were thrown back up though, as she tossed Castle into a storage crate.

"Stay right here." She snapped. "Don't you dare move." He could feel her face pressed close to his, her breath lingering on his cheek. Feeling the pressure release, Rick heard Kate's heels clicking against the floor as she sped away, trying to find the shooter.

Another shot rang out, followed by a scream. Richard's heart froze. He knew that voice. It was Kate's. She had screamed. Running from the spot he had promised to stay he raced toward the noise. Crashing into boxes and walls as he went Castle ran at top speed, looking for Kate.

His feet moved across the ground faster than he knew they could. Emotion welled up inside Castle as he felt his heart pound. Kate's heels would never make another click on the floor. She would never put another killer in jail. Katherine Beckett was dead, before he could show her how much he meant to her. Kate Beckett was dead, and he was next. Tears welled in his eyes, making no difference in his vision due to the complete darkness in the room.

His heart thundered in his chest as he heard the footsteps coming around the corner from him. Castle raced faster yet, holding his hands ahead of him to prevent running into the crates and boxes. With a sharp turn to his left he was sent flying into the air and smashing onto the ground. As Rick landed he let out a little squeak of pain as his tail bone smashed against the ground. He turned around and felt for the thing he tripped over.

Richard's hands clamped around something long, yet soft. When his hands clamped around it, the object tightened, almost constricting under his touch. "Castle?" A voice whispered. He squeezed the object again. How could he have been so fooling. It was Kate's leg. Kate. Castle's mind snapped, his heart pounding. He crawled toward her torso, finding she was hiding within the close quarters of a smaller sized box. She slithered from the box, her hand landing atop his as she crawled on her knees.

"What part of stay there did you miss." He could hear her gritting here teeth with annoyance. He imagined her face, giving him a stern look. A look that made his heart flutter. That made him so happy.

"I thought you got shot."

"Shot? I'm fine. But now he knows where we are, considering he can hear us. We need go get out of here." Kate squeezed Castle's hand once before she stood.

Relief washed over him. She was safe and perfectly fine. Although, that didn't mean the shooter wasn't still wandering the parking garage. Castle stood after Beckett. She clasped his hand again, intertwining her fingers in his. Kate didn't want to have to lose him again, because this was a fatal meeting and since he obviously couldn't listen, he could easily end up dead.

Pulling Castle behind her, Kate set off in the direction she recalled the door. She felt her brunette curls bouncing with every step she took, hitting her chin softly. Kate stopped, listening for the footsteps. The only noise she could hear was the familiar rush of blood in her ears. Letting in a deep breath she slowly released is as she took three steps forward feeling for the wall. She dropped Rick's hand, letting it fall to her side.

Reaching down for the handle to the door, Kate let her hands squirm until they found the icy cold metal handle. Excitement making her grin she used all her force to tug up, ready to take off running once the door opened. Her efforts made a loud noise, an attempt to move the door. It was locked, she realized, slightly too late. The shooter knew where they were and exactly how to get there. Reaching back for Richard's hand Kate swallowed hard.

"Rick." She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She didn't know what to say. Her heart pounded in her chest and sadly, she squeezed Richard's hand twice. Kate laid her head on Castle's shoulder.

Castle's heart stopped. He had heart what Kate had failed to listen to. The footsteps. Followed by a silence, then a click. He was reloading once he got into position. Castle grasped Kate's shoulder, forcefully tackling her onto the ground as a loud bang rang through the garage. A simple gunshot.


End file.
